During the operation of a turbine engine, turbine vanes, among other components, are subjected to the high temperatures of combustion. In order to withstand such an environment, the vanes must be cooled. The prior art is replete with examples of cooling systems for turbine vanes; however, these cooling systems are not sufficiently robust in the event of damage to the outer surface of the vane, such as from impact with an object. Damage to the vane exterior can cause such cooling systems to fail, which, in turn, can quickly cascade into substantial structural damage. Thus, there is a need for a robust cooling system that can avoid or at least delay catastrophic failures that can follow vane surface damage.